"By carefully selecting the varieties you want (grafted onto different rootstocks if necessary) you may be able to provide yourself with tree-borne berries all summer long. The following are a few popular cultivars. This is by no means a comprehensive list and we have not yet tried them all, so feel free to let us know what your favorites are!
‘Oscar’
Morus alba x Morus rubra. Introduced by naturalist Oscar Clark. Self-fruitful. Reddish-black, staining fruit is about 1-¼” long by ½” wide. Performs best in USDA hardiness zones 6-9. Fast growing tree to 35’ tall and wide. Very good complex flavor is preferred over ‘Pakistan’ by many. We do like this one a lot!
‘World’s Best’ / ‘Eden’s Dwarf’
Morus alba. Originated in China, introduced publicly by Bryce Garling. Black berry up to 2” long, fast growing tree grows 12-15’, but may be kept much smaller. Late freezes may be problematic. So easy, and loves the heat!
‘Four Seasons’
Found in northern Taiwan in 1957. Known commercially as 46C019. Currently the most widely planted genotype in Taiwan. Tree is dwarf 12-15’, but may be kept smaller with light summer tip pruning. Berries are black, medium to large size with medium sweetness and complex flavor. Production is prolonged- known to fruit all summer long.
‘Persian’
Morus. nigra. Self fruitful. Black fruit is 1-¼” long and an inch wide. Juicy with a rich, subacid berry flavor. The fully ripe berry is considered to taste like every desirable berry species combined together. Considered drought tolerant once established. Strongly staining. Slow growing to 30′ tall. Handles higher pH soil better than many other mulberries. I have gotten to taste this one on an old flood irrigated farm in Queen Creek, AZ. The flavor was amazing.
‘Collier’
Morus alba X Morus rubra. Purplish-black fruit 1-1/8 inches long and 3/8 inch in diameter. Sweet flavor with just a trace of tartness. The quality is considered very good, on par with Illinois Everbearing. This tree has an extended ripening and harvest season. Medium sized spreading tree that is relatively hardy and very productive.
‘Downing’
Morus alba var. multicaulis was a seedling sown in 1846. The fruit is black with excellent flavor and ripens from June to September. Unfortunately the name has been contaminated and other varieties have subsequently been sold under the same name.
‘Illinois Everbearing’
M. alba X M. rubra. Originated in White County, Illinois. Introduced to the market in 1958. Black fruit is nearly seedless, large and long, averaging 12 berries per ounce. Flavor is rated good to very good and very sweet. Matures over a long season. The tree is vigorous and semi-dwarfed, extremely hardy and very productive. Still considered the best by many. For me the flavor of Illinois Everbearing is similar to Oscar.
‘Kaester’
Morus nigra. Originated in Los Angeles. Introduced to the market in 1971 by Nelson Westree. Black or deep purple, large and elongated fruit, 1-1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter. The flavor is very sweet with a good sweet/tart balance. Tree bears heavily.
‘Pakistan’
Probably Morus macroura, possibly hybridized with Morus alba. Originated in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is self fruitful and non-staining. Very large ruby-red to dark purple-black fruit from 2-½”, up to 4” long and ⅜” in diameter. The fruit is firmer than most cultivars and less juicy. Sweet with a good balance of flavors resembling a cross between raspberry and grape, exact flavor dependent upon climate and soil terroir. The quality is excellent. Fruit development is dependent upon root length and health more than other cultivars. Because of this it is not uncommon for fruit to not ripen the first year and drop most of them early. By its third year, the fruit will remain on the tree until fully ripe and delicious. Because it is loosely attached, the large fruit can be blown off the tree by a strong wind before it is evenly ripe. This tree grows 25-35′ high. It thrives in warmer zones in the Deep South, and mild winter areas such as southern California and the low desert region of Arizona, but often performs well enough in cooler regions. It is branch hardy to 25°F. The tree is large and spreading with large heart-shaped leaves. This is definitely one of our favorites!
‘White Pakistan’ / ‘King White’/ ‘White Shahtoot’
Morus macroura. A non-staining, white phenotype up to 4″ long, less juicy, with a sweet honey-like flavor. It grows in USDA zones 8b-10 and to 25-35′ high. There are several white Morus macroura varieties. For a sweet tooth like me, I find them all irresistible. They are the sweetest of all the mulberries that I have tasted.
‘Australian Green’
Morus macroura. This cultivar is a variation whose taste apparently resembles honeydew melon.
‘Dwarf Red Shahtoot’
Morus macroura. Originated in Australia. This dwarf red fruited variety may be easily kept as an espalier or small tree to 12’.
‘Riviera’
Morus alba. Originated in Vista, Calif. Purple-black fruits, 1 to 1-1/2 inches in length, 1/2 inch in diameter. Flesh somewhat juicy and very sweet. Very good dessert quality. Ripens over a long period, from April to June.
‘Russian’ (Tatarica)
One of the oldest cultivars still in propagation. Introduced into Europe from China about 1,500 years ago. Fruit is reddish-black and of good quality when ripe. The tree is bushy and grows up to 35 ft. tall. It is very hardy and drought resistant. Planted widely for windbreaks and hedgerows.
‘Shangri-La’
Morus alba x Morus rubra. Originated in Naples, Florida. Self fruitful with a complex sweet-tart flavor that has become a popular favorite. Produces staining, 1-½” long, black fruit. Good disease resistant mulberry for the Deep South, growing 25′ high in USDA zones 6-10. However, this cultivar is an early bloomer and will often lose fruit or branches when late frosts occur in the colder regions of its range. This may have something to do with the fact that this variety doesn’t seem quite as productive in Arizona as some other varieties. The tree has huge heart-shaped leaves. I love these fruits a bit better than ‘Pakistan’, but my conditions haven’t been as ideal and I haven’t seen these trees produce as much.
‘Tehama’ (Giant White)
Originated in Tehama County, Calif. Very large, white-colored fruit 2-¾” in length and ½” wide. Very sweet, “melting” flesh. This large-leaved tree has a beautiful form. Best adapted to mild winter areas. Produces some male flowers the first few years and eventually becomes fully parthenocarpic.
‘Wellington’
Originated in Geneva, New York. Reddish-black medium-sized fruit, 1-¼” long, ⅜” in diameter. Many berries are long and slender. Berry is very soft, but has a good flavor. Ripens over a period of several weeks. ‘Wellington’ is a heavy producer. Speculation exists that this variety may be the old cultivar ‘New American’, which was also sold many years ago as ‘Downing’.
‘White Persian’
Morus nigra. This is an unusual self-fruitful, and non-staining white fruiting phenotype of the black mulberry. Fruit measures up to 1-¼”, and is possibly the best tasting of the white fruited mulberries.
‘Dwarf Black’
A self-fruitful dwarf cultivar of Morus nigra, with strongly staining, small black berries, varying in size between 1/4″ to 1/2″ long, with an excellent sweet berry flavor. It produces both a spring and a fall crop, gradually increasing production over several years. The small berries are tedious to harvest, however, and are a bird magnet resulting in purple staining bird poop everywhere. The tree is rather slow growing up to 8-12′ high. USDA hardiness zones vary according to rootstock, either 5-11 or 7-11. A cultivar named ‘Black Beauty’ doesn’t seem to express much difference in berry size. Dwarf Black Mulberries do well in large containers.
‘Dwarf Everbearing’
Morus alba. Self fruitful. Heavy producer of strongly red-staining, small black berries. It grows 8-12′ high. USDA zones 5-11. This tree is often used as a rootstock to dwarf other M. alba trees, but is highly susceptible to root knot nematodes. This tree is often misrepresented as Morus nigra.
These have always been very abundant for us except when we have had root knot nematodes. The berries are tasty, albeit a bit fiddly to harvest (good for kids and chickens). Although the tarps-and-bowls-below-and-shake method works well for this one.
White Fruiting Mulberry
Morus alba. Self-fruitful. Non-staining, white colored berries up to 1″ long, are mild and sweet, and taste like mild honey mixed with melon or white peach. It grows to 30′ high. ‘Lavender’ is a pink to light purple-tinged variation, though birds are not as readily attracted to the white mulberry fruits. White mulberries tend to conserve the majority of their sweetness during dehydration.
‘Weeping Mulberry’ / ‘Pendula’
Morus alba hybrid. Not self-fruitful, staining, reddish-black. Fruit is relatively poor-tasting. Primarily grown as an ornamental from 8-15′ high and wide. I have tasted fruit of several trees. Fruit quality is inconsistent, some good, some taste green even when ripe.
Conclusion
Mulberry trees are very easy to grow and tolerate a wide range of soils and climates. Many modern varieties are self-fertile and still produce copious amounts of delicious, seedless fruit without the need for pollen. Some varieties have a long production season.
Pakistan and other M. macroura hybrids come off the tree easily for harvest, but are also blown off the tree easily in spring winds. Morus nigra are excellent options in regions where winds may be a concern. The fruit is kept fresh on the tree until several days after initial ripening, allowing harvest time.
They produce wonderful summer shade, but are also decidedly deciduous, allowing sun penetration and warming in the winter. An ideal location would be far enough away from potentially damaged concrete walls, walks, and from water lines, sewer lines, and septic systems.
Choose for flavor, or choose for non-staining berries. Keep away from sidewalks and driveways to prevent the extra mess of sticky berries. Birds love them as much as people and may spread seeds and purple poop everywhere. White fruiting types and some cultivars such as ‘Pakistan’ and ‘White King’ will not stain.
“Fruitless” mulberries produce pollen and should be avoided by people with allergies and in areas where allergies are especially a concern. Many municipalities erroneously ban the sale of all mulberries as “pollen producers”.
Morus alba and Morus macroura are used in the raising of silkworms, but they will not eat the leaves of Morus nigra. Morus alba has naturalized in much of North America and easily hybridizes with Morus rubra. Morus nigra is found occurring naturally in only a few states.
Regardless of what kind of mulberry you decide to grow, the shade, the lush greenery, and the amazing fruit are all worth the small amount of effort they require. You can’t get much better than a plant that is tasty, nutritious, AND so easy to grow. I hope you have fun designing your edible paradise and do let me know if you manage to find space for a delicious mulberry in your dreamscape!
~Jason Tibbetts
Edible Landscape Artist, Educator, Designer, and Coach
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